As UWC 6: Capital Punishment approaches, those of us in the Washington, DC area who are hardcore MMA fans are supremely excited to see what four-time All American and Division I national champion out of Penn State University Phil Davis is going to look like live and in the flesh as he trades in the singlet for 4oz vale tudo gloves (you can watch his MMA debut here). Davis has been training with Team Lloyd Irvin for this fight and UWC Bantamweight champion Mike Easton talked about training with Davis on MMA Nation this past Saturday (here and here to listen). He told me on and off the air Davis's learning curve is steep. According to Easton, Davis hits hard, has a very capable guard, excellent sweeps and obviously phenomenal takedowns. I'll have to judge that for myself, but it sounds promising. He's also been working with Team Lloyd Irvin on improving their takedown defense, something Jose Villarisco is going to need in his bout with Mikey Lovato.

Davis will be taking on Terry Cohens, who you may recall was put to sleep in guard by Antwain Britt's hammerfists. Clearly, an athlete and wrestler the caliber of Davis is the easy favorite, but it's still exciting to see another high-profile wrestler get into MMA particularly in one's backyard.

Again, I'll be Twittering from the event on Bloody Elbow's Twitter page. And if you see me, be friendly and come say hello. I always enjoy meeting readers in person.

Full press release after the jump.

Disclosure: I am an employee (the color commentator) of the UWC.

 

 

NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPION TO FACE SUBMISSION SPECIALIST AT UWC – CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

 

Phil Davis vs. Terry Cohens Showdown Added to April 25^th Patriot Center Card

WASHINGTON, DC - East coast-based Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) leader the Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC) formally announced today a light heavyweight bout (205lbs.) between 2008 NCAA National Wrestling Champion Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis and UWC veteran Terry “T-Rex” Cohens.   The bout will take place at UWC - Capital Punishment on April 25th at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

One of the country’s rising light heavyweight prospects, Davis (2-0) has launched his professional career with a perfect record after going undefeated (4-0) as an amateur.  His first pro bout was a unanimous decision over veteran Brett Chism in October 2008.  Last January, he registered an explosive first-round TKO after pummeling Josh Green with an unanswered barrage of strikes. 

 

While he has only been in professional MMA for a short while, his athletic resume is quite impressive.  Davis won the 2008 NCAA National Heavyweight Wrestling Championship at Penn State to cap an outstanding career as a four-time All-American.  Davis went 26-1 and finished with an impressive 116-20 career record for the Nittany Lions’ storied program.

 

Though his background is with mat-based grappling, Davis has taken to his new sport very quickly and has rounded out his game, making him an imposing opponent for any fighter.   He trains with LionHeart MMA and has spent time under the tutelage of Master Lloyd Irvin preparing for this bout.  Davis hails from Harrisburg, PA, a short two-hour drive from the Patriot Center, so expect a strong following for the rising star.

 

UWC fans remember Cohens (5-2) from his appearances at UWC 2 in 2007 and UWC - Confrontation in October 2008.  He scored a first-round knockout of Conan Dunn at UWC 2 in his professional debut.   At Confrontation in October 2008, he headlined the card against rising heavyweight sensation and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 cast member Antwain Britt.  Britt took the TKO victory that night, but the Palatka, FL, native made an impression. 

 

His only other professional loss came at the hands of Rob Smith, an accomplished veteran fighter who has faced MMA superstars Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rich Franklin. Cohens returned to his winning ways after the loss to Britt with a victory via rear naked choke over Thomas Russell last December.

 

After six years in the military, split between the Navy and Army, Cohens entered the fighting world by earning a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt under C.C. Corey.  His training has prepared him for all types of combat inside the cage, but his specialty has been submissions.  Cohens has unleashed an arsenal of dangerous holds to win bouts, including Guillotine and Triangle chokeholds. 

 

UWC shows have become a staple of the Washington, D.C. sports culture, attracting thousands of fans, along with mainstream celebrities like Alex Ovechkin from the Washington Capitals, Washington Redskins TE Chris Cooley, and ESPN’s Tony Reali, among many others.   UWC CEO S. Marcello Foran remains committed to finding and developing the great MMA champions of tomorrow.  Fans can expect explosive cage fights, first-class production and a crowd-pleasing environment as the UWC provides the highest level of competition seen on the east coast.

 

Buy tickets today at all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmsater.com with general admission prices set at $35, $58.50, $78.50 and $128.50. A limited number of Ultimate VIP (UVIP) and VIP packages ($500 and $250) are available, which include cage side seating, UVIP fight night pre-party, UVIP event lanyard, special guest fighter meet and greets, UVIP suite access, full food and beverage service and more.

 

Find ticket information, photos, videos, fight card updates, and other UWC news:

 Text "UWC" to 30644 or visit the UWC Website: www.uwcmma.com

Official Event Flash Website: www.uwcmma.com/uwc6

Facebook: UWC Group http://groups.to/uwc  and UWC Page http://companies.to/uwc MySpace: www.myspace.com/uwcmma and on Twitter: www.twitter.com/uwcmma  

 

UltimateVIP Contest – Meet and Greet w/ TITO ORTIZ

For a chance to “WIN” the UltimateVIP Fight Night Ticket Package and a Meet and Greet with Tito and other special celebrity guests TEXT “VIP” to 30644

 

Missed Man “O” War, but heard about the coolest show in town from friends?  Check out fight video for free at the UWC Multi Media Center to see what all the buzz is about: http://www.uwcmma.com/media_center/window.html

 

UWC 6: Capital Punishment will be streamed “LIVE” and for “FREE” on the most visited MMA website in the world - SHERDOG.com

(*Unavailable within 100 miles of the Washington DC Metro area)

 

 

About UWC:

The Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC) is the Mid Atlantic Regions leader in providing fans with the best, most competitive and highest quality professional mixed martial arts (MMA) events. In addition to featuring elite fighters from the top MMA teams across the country, UWC also showcases and builds the careers of the many top pro fighters from the leading Virginia, D.C. and Maryland teams and gyms by giving them an opportunity and platform to challenge the very best in their highly competitive hometown area. UWC's fighters and events will serve as the catalyst for turning the Mid Atlantic Region and Washington DC area into a powerful and highly-regarded MMA east coast destination.

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mike Schaffer / mike@bwfcom.com 202-468-1150

Brian Bishop / brian@bwfcom.com 202-468-8400